


pine (is not just a type of tree)

by imposterhuman



Series: shield high school au [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Closets, FrostIron - Freeform, Gen, M/M, Pining, Pining Loki (Marvel), Pining Tony Stark, Teacher Loki (Marvel), Teacher Tony Stark, all the pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 10:59:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16617680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imposterhuman/pseuds/imposterhuman
Summary: loki likes tony, and tony likes loki, but both think that its unrequitedpepper and rhodey are just doing their best to deal with Actual Drama Queen tony starkft. my queen valkyrie!! i love and cherish her





	pine (is not just a type of tree)

**Author's Note:**

> this was written pretty fast, so rip actual plot
> 
> i feel like its a mess but its my mess

“Guys, he’s just so… ugh!” Tony cried, flopping on the laps of his best friends. Pepper gave him a light shove, pushing his legs onto the floor. Rhodey gave him a significantly harder shove, and he landed on the ground with a soft  _ thump _ . 

 

“Loki again?” Pepper asked, rolling her eyes fondly. She took another sip of wine, knowing she’d need alcohol to get through Tony’s pining.

 

“Who else?” Rhodey replied.

 

“You don’t understand,” Tony whined. “He’s such an  _ asshole _ , you know? But then he goes and does some amazingly sensitive shit for his students and my heart melts. And don’t even get me  _ started  _ on his cheekbones.”

 

“We don’t have to get you started, Tones, you’re gonna tell us whether we want to hear it or not,” Rhodey grumbled. The ROTC leader had heard Tony’s pining since Loki blew up his classroom and ended up on the genius’s radar.

 

“They’re just so sharp, Rhodey, how are they so sharp?” Pepper said, jokingly mocking Tony.

 

“I hate you,” Tony said with a glare. “I am having a  _ dilemma _ , Pep, a  _ dilemma _ !”

 

“Ask him out,” Pepper said, draining her glass. “He clearly has the hots for you, too.”

 

“Terrible plan. No way,” the engineering teacher shot back quickly. “Honeybear, better plan?”

 

“Just pine until your demise or the heat death of the universe? Whatever’s faster,” Rhodey replied with a shrug.

 

“Perfect.”

 

Talk of Tony’s crush was abandoned in favor of shitty sci-fi, where Tony took an absurd amount of glee in pointing out all of the logistical impossibilities and what he could do better.

 

\---

 

“Brother,” Loki said, striding into Thor’s house. He hadn’t rang the doorbell or anything, but Thor was used to that by now. “I require assistance.”

 

Thor arched an eyebrow. Over the years, he had mellowed out a little bit, and was capable of caution, thank you very much. Loki hadn’t approached him for help in awhile, and he’d be damned if he was going to waste this opportunity to interact (positively) with his wayward brother.

 

“On what?” he asked carefully. “If it's illegal, don’t tell me.”

 

Loki huffed. “I haven’t dragged you into anything illegal in years, Thor,” Loki plopped onto Thor’s couch next to the blond. “I seem to have caught  _ feelings _ .” Loki shuddered.

 

“Do tell,” Thor said, reigning in his enthusiasm. The trick with Loki was to accept the breadcrumbs and not push. You’d always get more that way.

 

“He’s a fellow teacher, and he is  _ so irritating _ ,” Loki said. “But he’s also caring, and sweet, and so very smart…” Loki trailed off.

 

“You always did have a thing for wit,” Thor said wryly. 

 

“And now I have a  _ thing  _ for Tony!” Loki cried.

 

“Is that so bad?” Thor asked gently. “If he makes you happy, brother, you should pursue him.”

 

“He’s not interested,” Loki sighed. 

 

Thor, familiar with his brother’s propensity to assume the worst of people, replied, “Have you asked?”

 

“Not to be dramatic,” Loki replied dramatically. “But I’d rather ram a fork through my eye. Multiple times.”

 

Thor laughed. “Well then, my cutlery is in the kitchen, third drawer on the left.”

 

Loki just flipped him off.

 

\---

 

On Monday mornings, it could be argued that no one was at functioning at optimum levels, much less a sleep-deprived Tony Stark. When he had gotten to class, ten minutes before first bell, he barely even registered Loki pressing a coffee cup into his hand.

 

“Thanks, love you,” he murmured sleepily. Then he stiffened, mortified. “I meant the coffee! I love the, um, the coffee!” 

 

Loki rolled his eyes fondly. “I see how it is, Tony,” he said with an exaggerated pout. “The coffee is more important than the one who brings it to you.”

 

Tony nudged Loki gently with his hip. “Thank you for the coffee, Lokes,” he smiled. 

 

“Of course.” And then Loki was off to his classroom. Tony just stood there for another minute, a dopey smile on his face. 

 

“Are you okay, Mr. Stark?” Peter Parker, his TA, asked. “You’ve been standing there for like, a minute.” Unbeknownst to Tony, Peter had taken several photos of the two teachers for the rumor mill that he’d very much deny running. 

 

“Tired, Peter, I was up all night grading,” Tony replied. “Now come on, help me set up for this period.”

 

\---

 

“Sour Patch, I need you to hire someone to kill me. I think Barnes or Romanoff would do it, they were definitely assassins in past lives,” Tony said wearily over the phone.

 

“What did you do?” Rhodey replied. 

 

“I might've said  _ love you _ to Loki? Just a little?”

 

Rhodey sighed. “So I guess we’re going with Pepper’s plan, then. Shame. I bet on him making the first move.”

 

“Bet?” Tony squawked. 

 

“Damn you, now I owe Pepper twenty bucks. Meet me at my car after school, we can go to the Tower for drinks and planning.”

 

“You’re literally my favorite person in the whole world, platypus, I would marry you on the spot if Pepper wouldn’t kill me for it,” Tony said gratefully. Rhodey hung up with a laugh.

 

The day dragged on, with Loki stopping by every so often for a quick chat between classes. Soon enough, though Tony was sitting in Rhodey’s car, pining as usual.

 

“What if he never talks to me again? What if I made it awkward?” Tony whined. Then he gasped dramatically. “What if he never brings me that  _ amazing  _ coffee again?”

 

Rhodey snorted in amusement. “Of course it's the coffee that gets the strongest reaction out of you.”

 

“It's really good coffee, Honeybear,” Tony pointed out.

 

They pulled into the bar’s parking lot and met Pepper at a table in the back.

 

“How bad, scale of one to ten?” Pepper asked, in full on planning mode.

 

“Eleven!” Tony wailed.

 

“Like, a two,” Rhodey deadpanned.

 

“I resent that.”   
  
“Yeah, well, I resent  _ you _ .”

 

“Boys!” Pepper clapped her hands. The two men looked chastised and stopped their banter. “Tony, you need to make a move.”

 

“Or,” Tony said. “I could hypothetically  _ not  _ do that.”

 

Pepper glared at him. “He’s smart, Tones, and pretty sensitive. He’s probably already overanalyzed this whole interaction, and if he likes you the way that we all know he does, he’s freaking out a little bit.”

 

“She has a point, loser,” Rhodey added. “If you don’t make a move, he’s gonna think you don't like him, and that won’t do.”

 

Tony sighed dramatically. “So pretend I do make a move,” he said. “What do I do?”

 

“Coffee date?” Pepper suggested.

 

“Loki brings Tony coffee every morning, Pep, that’s basically a coffee date right there,” Rhodey shot back. “I vote we lock them in a closet together.”

 

“Just because you teach high schoolers doesn’t mean you have to act like one,” Tony said maturely, sticking his tongue out like a mature adult.

 

Pepper rolled her eyes. “Lunch date, then. See if he’s free this weekend.” She phrased it like a command so Tony would do it (she was pretty scary and coincidentally the only person he listened to). 

 

Tony smiled. “I’ll consider it,” he said. “But I’m honestly going to blank out on this whole  _ planning  _ thing and wing it.”

 

She sighed. “Just don’t do anything rash.”

 

“Pep, dearest, light of my life, when have I ever done anything rash?” Rhodey snorted as Tony gave Pepper his best grin.

 

“Alphabetically or in order of severity?” She said sweetly. “I keep a list.”

 

Rhodey lost it at that.

 

\---

 

“He said  _ love you _ ,” Loki said over the phone. He was talking to his friend Valkyrie (a nickname, of course; a relic from when she wanted a Norse mythology name to fit in with Loki and Thor. Of course, they gave her the name of the fiercest warriors in Norse mythology), who was rather unimpressed with the whole situation.

 

“You’ve said,” she said, droll. “I don’t see the big deal, Loki. Just kiss him and be done with it.”

 

“What if he doesn’t kiss me back?” Loki whined.

 

Valkyrie snorted. “Has hanging around high schoolers made you into one of them? If he doesn’t, you move on. You’re an adult, you can handle rejection.”

 

Loki sighed. “I really like this one, Val,” he said softly.

 

“I know, Lokes,” she replied gently. “And for what it's worth, I’m pretty sure he has it bad for you. Remember when I visited and he glared at me the whole time until you told him I was your pseudo-sister? That was jealousy, Loki, because he thought we were dating.”

 

“We’d make a hot couple,” Loki said dryly.

 

“But alas, the Norns have decreed otherwise,” Loki could hear the smile in her voice. “Seriously, Loki. Valkyrie up.”

 

Loki shook his head. “I knew we should’ve called you Ratatosk. You’re just as irritating.”

 

“Whatever, trickster,” she said. “Make your move, or I’m going to come steal that man. Or kill you in your sleep. Jury’s out.”

 

Loki hung up with a laugh, feeling a lot better. Tomorrow, he decided, he’d ask Tony out.

 

\---

 

“I am literally going to kill my friends in the most painful possible ways, and you’re going to help me,” Tony groaned to Loki. 

 

They were locked in a supply closet. Loki had gone in to retrieve supplies for his next class, and Tony was unceremoniously shoved in before the door was locked.

 

Loki was freaking out a little, but he cocked an eyebrow and hoped he looked cool. “And why is that?”

 

Tony blushed. “Um, uh… no reason?” he stammered.

 

Loki smirked, pressing his advantage. “Are you sure?” he drawled, fixing Tony with a challenging stare.

 

Tony let out a small  _ eep!  _ of embarrassment, blushing harder. 

 

“So I  _ maybe  _ know why they locked me in here,” Tony said, deliberately trailing off. He knew what game Loki was playing, and two could play. He bit his lip, internally celebrating as Loki’s green eyes were drawn to the movement.

 

“Do tell,” Loki said, sounding a little out of breath. Tony leaned in a little closer, almost unconsciously.

 

“They wanted me to talk to you,” Tony said vaguely. “Can you guess what about?”

 

Loki narrowed his eyes. “I could, but I’d much rather you tell me.”

 

Tony’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Why don’t I show you instead?” Without waiting for an answer, Tony gently pulled Loki down to him, giving him a chaste kiss.

 

When Tony pulled back, Loki blinked in surprise. “I don’t think I fully understood that,” he said with a smirk. “You’ll have to do it again.”

 

Tony laughed and kissed Loki again, slotting their mouths together. When he pulled away for air, he shot Loki a teasing smile.

 

“Lunch, Saturday at 1. I’ll pick you up,” he said with a flirty wink. He knocked on the door. “Pep, Rhodey, let me out!” The door opened and Tony strode out confidently. Loki watched him get halfway down the hall before letting out an ecstatic  _ yes! _ and doing a fist pump.

 

Tony, sensing Loki looking at him, blew the taller man a kiss before retreating into his classroom. 

 

Loki felt a smile crawl across his lips. He’d have to find Tony’s friends and thank them. Maybe they’d enjoy a fruit basket.

**Author's Note:**

> howd i do?
> 
> next up (probably): peter & gang finding out! maybe
> 
> comments and kudos make me a happy gal


End file.
